Thursday, October 30, 2014

What can you do with a bicycle, a motor and spare parts? Make energy!

When Senior Engineer Greg Schroeder was asked if We Energies would participate in a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) expo, he wanted the company’s display to stand out. After all, the goal was to inspire a new generation of engineers.

He enlisted the help of colleagues, Bill Jahnke and Dennis Kane. Kane also involved his son, Alex, who built a device for his Eagle Scout project. He used an old bike, a treadmill motor, a lamp light and some good old-fashioned ingenuity. The lamp had LED, CFL and incandescent bulbs to demonstrate energy efficiency.

The finished product is pictured here: a stationary bicycle that generates electricity. It was on display Oct. 25 at the American Society of Civil Engineers’ annual STEM Expo at Milwaukee School of Engineering‘s (MSOE’s) Kern Center.

Students ages 6 to 18 were invited to discover the world of science, technology, engineering and math at 35 exploration stations. At We Energies’ station, guests pedaled to produce power.

The We Energies Foundation sponsored the expo with a $1,000 donation. Several of our employees are involved in STEM educational efforts.